Simplicity
by Elizabeth Fayes
Summary: All she had to do was get Jace Herondale to fall in love with her so she could break his heart. Yet it's not so simple when you already have a crush on him. [cross country x track]
1. Chapter 1

**Simplicity**

 **Summary: All she had to do was get Jace Herondale to fall in love with her, and then break his heart. Yet it's not so simple when you already have a crush on him. Clace. AH. AU.**

 **A/N: wOw! It's been such a long time since I've written for this fandom, considering I've been over fangirling (is there such things as over fangirling?) over the Throne of Glass series (I've written few stories for that fandom). However, this idea came into mind and it would have been better expressed using this fandom, so here it goes! Enjoy** **J** **!**

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 **Chapter 1**

You would think that if you grew up with someone you were really close with when you were young, you would still be friends with that person even if you moved away and came back. Apparently, that hypothesis was wrong in my situation.

"Ohmygosh Clary, your red hair used to really suit in such an adorable way. I'd suggest that you straighten it because naturally, you look like a freaking nine year old, which was like, uh, give or take, six or seven years ago," Kaelie says, twirling a blond strand around her finger, glancing around her room.

Both our parents had set us up on a 'playdate' get-together after seven years of not seeing each other. The thing is, Kaelie and I had practically grown up together from being next-door neighbors and our parents the closest friends since a young age. When I was nine, my family moved for a prolonged business trip due to my father's work in New York.

Now, I was fifteen, and back in California with its' sunny skies and high winds. We bought back the same house next to Kaelie's, and the only difference was Kaelie herself and that we would both be attending high school as sophomores instead of fifth graders.

"What?" I scowl. "It takes too much time to straighten."

"So? Make time." She snorts if that's the simplest solution in the world. "I mean, wouldn't you rather fix your schedule around to do your hair than look like a total homeless guy?"

"You're saying I look like a homeless guy?" I protest, looking at my reflection in the mirror. I still hadn't grown that much: same freckles dotting across my pale face, only one and a half inches taller, and same untamable hair.

She shrugs. "I dunno, I'm just saying." She flops back down onto her bed, and goes back on her phone, texting some other fake friend, no doubt.

I sigh and look out her window, which had the view of the high school's field. A group of guys are running laps around the track at a pretty fast pace, shirtless and sweaty against the merciless sun.

"Who are they?" I ask, craning my head to get a better look at the lead runner with a perfectly toned and golden body, his muscles apparent as he picks up the pace. I would bet my life he was ripped, and perhaps even hot.

Kaelie mutters _freaking slut_ and tosses her iPhone six plus across the wall, which causes me to internally cringe. "Aline can't come over," she whines, and joins me at the window, sitting on her pink futon delicately. "She wants to spend time with her wanna-be boyfriend. As if she could have a boyfriend!" she tosses her head over her shoulder haughtily.

I shrug, not knowing who Aline is. "Who are they?" I repeat, specifically looking at the lead runner with seemingly gold hair. My eyes followed him as he ran.

Kaelie grabs a purple colored nail polish and looks up, her eyes also following the lead guy. "The hot, ripped, gorgeous to die for one?" she smirks. "That's Jace and he's the varsity captain for cross country and track."

I nod, at watch as _Jace_ sprints the last 100 meters and finishes to a jogging pace, the others still lagging a good 200 meters or less behind.

"Where's the girls' team?" I ask, looking at the grass field and not seeing any other people. I loved running and ran for my high school freshman year; I made it to CIF for cross country and the 1600/3200 meters in track. Basically, the area I excelled at was long distance.

Kaelie snorts. "Are you kidding me? It's only summer and training isn't a priority for us right now."

" _Us_?" I choke. "You're on the team?" I try to control my voice so it doesn't sound as incredulous. It's absurd to imagine Kaelie in a uniform working her ass off till you puke all over the floor. If anything, she would be in cheerleading. Apparently, stereotypes have failed me once again.

"Yeah, gotta problem with that?" she retorts, "What do you think, a tiny girl like you running around with pigtails?"

I straighten my back. "Actually, yes; I was varsity in both as freshman."

"Well, we're not even in season," she says, "and the guys are super serious, like they always make it to CIF 'cause they're ranked and all. Our team's pretty decent and we always make it to finals, but that's most."

Jace is jogging on the turf, no doubt doing a cool down. He pauses and turns around to wait for the rest of his teammates, who are sweating more than him-their backs glisten noticeably against the sun from Kaelie's high balcony.

"You like him," Kaelie's voice snaps me out of my reverie. "Jace, I mean." Her voice is more high-pitched.

I snap my heads towards her. "Don't be ridiculous. I don't even know him. He just seems like a good runner, is all."

"Really?" she drags her voice out, along her with the brush on her nails. "Does Clarissa have a crush?"

I really don't get why she calls me _Clarissa_ when the first entire nine years of my life she's called me Clary.

"Crush?" I tilt my head in a patronizing manner towards her, even though my heart rate is already speeding up. My eyes betray me and flick towards Jace again.

"Liar," she sneers, and leans forwards, dropping the paint brush on her vanity table.

I roll my eyes. "For the record, I think the black-haired guy talking to Jace is cuter." I'm randomly making up excuses because as stupid and hopeless as it sounds, I think I already have a crush on him. But it's just a crush and that's harmless.

Kaelie coughs, "Um, him? That's Alec and he's gay."

I force my eyes to widen. "No way, he's to-to…" I can't think of anything to say because now Jace leans down to retie his shoelaces and of course, just decides to show off his good looking ass. My cheeks turn pink and I quickly look away.

"Hmph," Kaelie pouts, blowing on her nails, "if you're so sure, then I dare you to break his heart."

I lean back against the windowsill, glaring at the girl in front of me. "What are you, my boss? I don't even know him and he doesn't even know me. And he would never ask a girl who looks like some _homeless guy_ out."

She shrugs and grins wickedly at me. "I'll have Aline, his ex-girlfriend, force him to ask you out. You're gonna say yes, make him fall in love with you, and then you're going to break his heart."

I roll my eyes. What kind of girl asked her ex-boyfriend to date a girl her doesn't even know? "Seriously, Kaelie, if you wanna break his heart do it yourself."

"Oh, so you'd rather have me have him than you?" she retorts, setting the nail polish along her collection of others. "Too bad, because I already have a boyfriend."

Of course she does-I have to refrain myself from rolling my eyes now or else my pupils would fall out. "Doesn't mean I have too."

"It just means you like him, then." She says, staring me down.

I immediately came down to the conclusion that she was crazy and just decided to humor her for the moment. Seven years really did change a person. "I'm not doing it because I have some sense of well-being for others, unlike someone else in this room."

She laughs it off and retrieves her phone so I can't see her face. There's a pause and I glance out the window. Jace is also laughing, except most likely out of happiness, bumping into another guy.

"Clarissa, did you why your parents move back?" her voice is sickly high and I focus my attention back on her.

"Because the business trip ended," I shrug my shoulders and move to sink into the futon.

"If it were only that simple," she says, and throws herself onto the bed. "Long story short, your dad branched off from my dad's and went to NY to promote his without asking my father's consent. He failed so he had to come back. As some form of punishment, my dad bought out your mom's art company so now he owns it. My parents could leave your entire family homeless and jobless. Is that what you want?"

I don't know what to say-I'm far beyond horrified. "What?" I manage to choke out.

"You heard what I said," her hair swings over her face so I can't analyze her expression. "So I tell my parents to drop your parent's positions-which they will, or you can let Jace ask you out and fall for you. Then you're going to break his heart."

"Why?" I whisper, sinking lower into the futon as if I could forever hide in it. This wasn't even love-Jace would be forcing himself to asking me out. Did Kaelie also own his parent's company of some sort? What sick joke was this?

"Don't ask that." She snaps, glowering at me, crossing her ankles.

"Am I just going to be some source of entertainment for you?" I snap back. "Why him, and what sick, twisted mind do you have?"

She slams her phone into the pillow. "Do you want your parents to be jobless because of you or not? Will you do it or not?"

I wrap my legs around myself, a tear sliding down my face. "I'll do it," I whisper. I look around her room-anywhere other than at Kaelie-and suddenly I feel grossed and trapped with all the pink and snobbish authority and everything.

I dash out of her room and flee down the stairs. And I thought that coming back couldn't have been so bad. Seven years does really change a person.

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"Why aren't you eating?" my brother asks, nudging me with his shoulder. "You're too skinny so eat up."

"Leave her alone, Jon." My mom scowls and stabs her chicken with her fork. "Valentine will be here late since work caught up on him."

When she mentions work, I push back my plate. It's all too much to process. "I'm not hungry," I announce. "I ate a lot of Kaelie's."

My mom nods absently, her mind already wandering off. My brother shrugs and grabs my plate, stuffing my fried chicken and salad vigorously into his mouth. I wrinkle my nose in distaste and gather the leftover plates to wash.

After I finish dishes, I head to my room to draw. Someone knocks on my door and my pencil flies out of my hand-I'd been free drawing with my thoughts all over the pace. I look down at my drawing and realize that I've been drawing a guy running.

Holy shit.

"Claryyyy," Jon whines, "I've invited some guys from the cross country team so I'll know everyone by the time the season starts. Either don't come out or make a good impression."

I roll my eyes and throw my pillow at the door which separates us. "Thanks for the heads up, Johnny."

He bangs on the door, "don't call me that!" his voice fades away and footsteps echo as he thumps down the stairs. "I'm going to order some pizza!"

I don't really know how guys can eat so much in one time. Even after Jon fills himself up to the point where he gets stomach aches and occasionally throws his food up, he still manages to have to time eat. It's disgusting and pointless-yet I still endearingly love my brother.

I continue drawing the guy, toning in the marks of muscles. My phone buzzes and I glance at the screen:

 _OMG CLARISSA jace is headin to ur house with the other runners. Im comin over asap k?_

I seriously hate my life. I especially don't want Kaelie there at all. She has the nerve to blackmail me with my family-who does that? Did nine years of friendship go down the drain after seven years of absence?

 _Don't bother im not even going to introduce myself._ My thumb hovers over the send button, and in that split second, my door bangs open revealing a panting Kaelie.

"Your brother totally likes me," she smirks, "I mean, he was checking me out when he was in the kitchen. He is kinda cute. But you couldn't think that because that's just gross."

I stand up, throwing the sketchpad on the bed. "Get out," I say as firmly as possible, "You're not welcome here."

She pouts and saunters over to my bed, grabbing the pad. "Oooh, Clary, you totally like Jace! You drew him! Ohmygosh!"

I try to grab it back, but she just pulls out her phone and takes a picture of it. Then she throws it back on the bed, smirks, and walks out my room. I can only stand looking at the door, fuming. Freaking bitch.

I look down at my drawing and stare at it. It did kind of look like Jace from a distance.

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I finish taking a shower to clear my thoughts of everything that has happened today. I mentally curse myself for not unpacking everything-I can't even find my favorite cardigan. I rummage through all my suitcases for another good five minutes when the door swings open.

"Get the fuck out Jon," I shout, knowing Kaelie wouldn't bother to come back. "I'm going out for a run and you better shove your loud ass into a pillow because I couldn't concentrate on getting anything done with you and your cross country buddies blowing up my eardrums." That was at least true because I'd tried to study for history, my weakest subject.

There's a pause, signaling Jon hadn't left yet.

"If you're going to rant how _hot_ Kaelie is, I will cut out your tongue out." I add, then yelp in excitement as I find the cardigan.

"In my opinion, you're much hotter." A voice says that isn't Jon's voice.

I scream and turn around. The person standing there with wide eyes and golden hair who wasn't definitely not Jon.

My jaw drops and I acutely realize it's…

"I'm Jace by the way." He extends his hand, but drops it when his eyes rakes over me.

I blush furiously and wrap my arms around myself, my arms brushing against my towel-the only piece of clothing I was wearing.

"I, uh, Kaelie told me this was the bathroom." _Jace_ says.

Holy shit. Holy shit. The only good side of this situation was that at least Kaelie hadn't told Aline, whoever that was, to tell Jace to ask me out yet.

"Apparently, it's not the bathroom, which I guess is quite obvious now." Jace backs up, his cheeks flaming now. "I think I'll leave now."

He quickly leaves, shutting the door, mumbling something unintelligible.

I sink into my bed, clutching the cardigan, staring at the door.

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 **A/N: So originally this was supposed to be divided into two chapters, but I combined them into one. So obviously, this story has to do with cross country and track (THE BEST ALL TIME SPORT WHICH MAY BE A LITTLE BIT BIASED BECAUSE I'M IN BOTH). How'd you guys think about it? Thanks for reading!**

 **-Lizbeth**


	2. Author's Note

To the readers who all expected another chapter...I'm sorry.

Life has been, rough, to put it lightly. Writing has been pushed to the side.

But I'm willing to change that. In fact, I'm looking for a beta for any of my stories. But as a warning, I'm pretty much going to flat out say it won't be easy because I won't be able to write often and am very picky about what I publish. So it may be a pain. And it may take even years toñ get through like my absence.

So if that hasn't dissuaded you, just PM about yourself, and which story you'd like for us to work on together. You don't have to worry about my lack of writing abilities like atrophy. One of the reasons for my inactiveness is that I'm composing my own original novel, but I semi-needed a breather from that (hence fanfiction).

Thank you to all the readers who continued to reviewed and PM me with words of encouragement. I haven't lost my ideas and voices in the fanfictions. Like I said on each of my stories, I plan on finishing them all, even if I'm a sixty-year old surrounded by cats. Having a beta will force myself to expedite the process.

~Liz


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